Is Joe Mauer [Blue] #178 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 2011 Topps Opening Day · full price guide →
Worth grading — even a PSA 9 beats raw
A Grade 9.5 Joe Mauer [Blue] #178 sells for $54.00 against $2.34 raw: a $51.66 spread, 23× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($49.00) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $2.34
- Grade 9.5
- $54.00
- PSA 9
- $49.00
- Gem premium
- 23×
- As of
- Sep 4, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — Grade 9.5 | $54.00 | +$26.66 | +$1.66 | −$98.34 |
| PSA 9 | $49.00 | +$21.66 | −$3.34 | −$103 |
Net = sale price − $2.34 raw value − fee. Fee tiers are illustrative; plug your grader's current price into the calculator below.
Expected value — how often does it need to gem?
| Chance it gems | Expected sale | Expected net (standard fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $50.25 | −$2.09 |
| 50% | $51.50 | −$0.84 |
| 75% | $52.75 | +$0.41 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 67%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
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Grading Joe Mauer [Blue] #178 — FAQ
Is Joe Mauer [Blue] #178 worth grading?
A Grade 9.5 Joe Mauer [Blue] #178 sells for $54.00 against $2.34 raw: a $51.66 spread, 23× the ungraded price. Even a PSA 9 ($49.00) clears the raw price after an economy-tier ~$25 fee, so a near-miss still comes out ahead. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
What gem rate makes grading Joe Mauer [Blue] #178 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting Joe Mauer [Blue] #178 breaks even when it gems about 67% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $49.00).
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